The Spirit's Bond: Gregory of Nyssa on the Inseparable Trinity
Andrew Radde-GallwitzUniversity of Notre Dame
The creed recited by Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and many Protestant Christians every Sunday originated from the first two ecumenical councils of the Church, Nicea (325) and Constantinople (381), which affirmed the divinity of Christ and the unity of the Trinity. Among the Cappadocian Fathers who developed and defended the affirmations of the creed, Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-395) is known for his contribution to the doctrine of the Trinity. Although he was cited by the Emperor Theodosius as an exemplar of Trinitarian orthodoxy, the exact nature of his doctrine remains a matter of dispute. He has been accused of every heresy from modalism to tritheism. This lecture will attempt to sort out Gregory’s teaching by focusing on his discussion of the Spirit’s inseparable connection with the Father and the Son.
Andrew Radde-Gallwitz is Assistant Professor in the Program of Liberal Studies at the University of Notre Dame. He holds a PhD from Emory University and an MTS from Duke Divinity School. His research focuses on the intellectual history of Christianity in the second through the fifth centuries, especially on Christian doctrine, Platonism, and negative theology. He is author of Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, and the Transformation of Divine Simplicity, for which he received the Templeton Award for Theological Promise in 2011, and Gregory of Nyssa on the Trinity and Christ (forthcoming).
